The fact is, the only kind of potential "research" out there is bead ID -- where and when old beads were made.  In this regard, there's been very little such "research" in decades.  Most of the time, someone can be found who knows for a fact where and when most old beads were made, and this is always true for contemporary beads.  There are some exceptions, but not many.  Solutions to the remaining questions involve rooting through dusty hard-to-access libraries, licensed digging where firm dates can be established, or chemical analysis.  What amazes us is how authorities give dates for beads when the origins aren't even known.  The near-total lack of credible documentation is another reason to suspect what's usually presented to us as "fact".

So, enough psychosis.  Let's see some unsolved bead ID problems with an outline of how these problems may be resolved.  Don't bore us with phony notions of "research" based solely upon relatively long exposure to beads and anecdotes gathered from contemporary merchants and hobbyists.